We are moving into Numbers chapter three with our word for today. מִשְׁמֶ֫רֶת guard, what is to be held in trust, obligation, service, duty, charge. It is used 78 times in the Old Testament, 10 times in our chapter. Our word is used in the sense of allegiance, the loyalty that citizens owe to their country, or subjects owe their sovereign. 1 Chronicles 12:29 Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת allegiance to the house of Saul. We find our word used in the sense of post, the position where someone stands or is assigned to stand as a guard or sentry. Isaiah 21:8 Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at מִ֨שְׁמַרְתִּ֔י my post I am stationed whole nights. Habakkuk 2:1 I will take my stand at מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י my watchpost and station myself on the tower. We also find our word used in the sense of charge, a required activity. Deuteronomy 11:1 You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep מִשְׁמַרְתּ֗וֹ his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. Most of the time our word is used in the sense of duty, work that a person is obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons. This is how our word is used 10 times in our chapter. Numbers 3:5-8, 25, 28, 31-32, 36-38 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.וְשָׁמְר֣וּ [this is the verb form of our word] They shall keep מִשְׁמַרְתּ֗וֹguard over him and מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙[our word is not translated but used again so it is guard over him and guard over the whole congregation] over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. וְשָׁמְר֗וּ [this is the verb form of our word again] They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶתkeep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle … וּמִשְׁמֶ֤רֶתAnd the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these … According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶתguard over the sanctuary … וּמִשְׁמַרְתָּ֗םAnd their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept מִשְׁמֶ֥רֶת guard over the sanctuary … And the appointed מִשְׁמֶרֶת֮guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords. Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת guarding the sanctuary itself, לְמִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. We see God’s protective love in these instructions to set up a whole group to keep people from crossing boundaries which would endanger the whole camp. We don’t think sin is that serious because we are easily deceived to not see just how much it effects our relationship with God and those around us. Not only does God set up this group to protect but also to serve by providing support for those who are preforming the sacrifices to help people connect with God as part of the tabernacle worship. We also see God setting up those who would help lead the people in worship. A great example of this is when Solomon dedicates the temple. I’ll close with this great use of our word. 2 Chronicles 7:6 The priests stood at מִשְׁמְרוֹתָ֣ם their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry; opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood.
